8 Montreal Travel Tips for 2026
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Montreal runs bilingual in the tourist core but official Quebec business happens in French, and a few practical details, the exact tax rate, the airport transfer, entry paperwork, trip people up more than the culture does. These eight cover the load-bearing logistics before you land, plus what’s genuinely just etiquette.
8 tips, at a glance
| Tip | What to know | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Tourist-core Montreal is bilingual, “Bonjour-Hi” | French is a courtesy, not a barrier |
| Entry | US: no visa, no eTA; other visa-exempt: eTA, $7 CAD, air only | ArriveCAN/Advance Declaration is optional |
| Tax | 14.975% (GST 5% + QST 9.975%) added at checkout | Not included in listed prices |
| Tipping | 18-20% pre-tax at restaurants | Has crept up from the old 15% norm |
| Airport | STM Bus 747 ($11.25) or taxi (~$49.45 day) | The REM doesn’t reach YUL yet |
| Getting around | STM metro $3.75/ride, RÉSO underground city | No car needed in the city |
| Safety | Level 1, “Exercise Normal Precautions” | Watch bags in crowds, nothing more serious |
| Weather | Four real seasons, winter -10 to -20°C | Pack for whichever season you land in |
Language: a courtesy, not a barrier
French is Quebec’s official language for business under Bill 96, but tourist-core Montreal, Old Montreal, downtown, the Plateau, is fluently bilingual. The local greeting, “Bonjour-Hi,” says it plainly: a little French is appreciated, English works fine everywhere a visitor is likely to go.
Entry requirements, get the right one for your passport
US citizens need a passport (mandatory by air) and nothing else, no visa, no eTA. Other visa-exempt nationals (UK, EU, Australia, and similar) need an eTA, an electronic travel authorization, CAD $7, valid for air travel only, still current for 2026. ArriveCAN / Advance Declaration is optional, not required, don’t let anything online convince you otherwise.
Quebec’s 14.975% sales tax
Quebec charges both federal GST (5%) and provincial QST (9.975%) on top of listed prices, combined 14.975%, added at the register rather than shown upfront. Factor it into any “final” price a menu or a hotel site quotes. Tipping, separately, has crept to 18-20% pre-tax at restaurants and bars, closer to US norms than a flat 15%.
Getting from the airport, without the REM
Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) sits about 20 kilometers west of downtown. The REM light-rail line’s airport branch isn’t open yet, commissioning is targeted for around end of 2027, so it’s the STM Bus 747 (about $11.25, runs 24/7) or a flat-rate taxi (about $49.45 by day, $56.70 at night).
Getting around, no car needed
Inside the city, the STM metro ($3.75/ride, 4 lines) plus buses cover everything, and the RÉSO underground city, about 33 kilometers of connected metro, malls, and hotels, is a genuine winter lifeline rather than a novelty. Save a car, or VIA Rail, for a day trip out of town.
Safety: a genuinely safe city, one real caveat
Montreal is rated Level 1, “Exercise Normal Precautions,” by the US State Department, a genuinely safe major city day to day. The one thing worth watching is pickpockets in crowded spots, Old Montreal, the RÉSO, festival crowds, not violent crime.
Weather: pack for real seasons
Summer is festival season and the best weather; winter runs -10 to -20°C with real snow, cold enough to plan around the RÉSO rather than fight it; fall brings foliage; spring is shoulder season and the only window for a sugar-shack meal. Best overall weather runs May through October.
For how these fit into an actual day-by-day plan, see our 3-day itinerary , and for the full rundown of sights these tips support, our full Montreal guide .
One concrete tip: budget for the 14.975% tax and an 18-20% tip separately from whatever a menu or booking site shows, the gap between listed and actual price is bigger in Quebec than in most of Canada.